Chippa United avoided a giant-killing act by defeating Mpheni Home Defenders 2-0 for a spot in the Nedbank Cup quarter-finals.
Nedbank Cup
Result: Chippa United 2-0 Mpheni Home Defenders
Date: 11 March 2023
Venue: Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium
Chippa made four changes following their defeat against AmaZulu, as Janovane September got only his second start of the season alongside the return of Abdi Banda, Meshack Maphangule and Brooklyn Poggenpoel.
Mpheni almost had a dream start after Lwazi Meek had a goal-bound shot on nine minutes after beating the Chilli Boys' defence but his effort was kept out by the recovering Roscoe Pietersen.
Kurt Lentjies' charges eventually got into the game and Ronald Pfumbidzai finally broke the deadlock on the half-hour mark with a strike at the near post after he was set up by Etiosa Ighodaro.
Chippa had a one-way traffic after that, as they created chance after chance and Ighodaro had a golden chance five minutes later after a cut-back by Pfumbidzai found him unmarked on the side of the box but his shot hit the side-netting.
As the hosts remained on the front foot, Ighodaro had another chance to make amends from a header in the box just before the interval but his effort missed narrowly wide.
The Chilli Boys could not create clear-cut chances coming from the half-time break and Lentjies made an attacking change on the hour-mark as Diego Appollis replaced Ighodaro.
The change had a desired effect for United as Appollis doubled their lead ten minutes later with a strike in the box after he was teed up by Poggenpoel in the box.
Mpheni had the momentum in the closing stages, as they put Chippa under pressure and Stanley Nwabali pulled off a crucial save with 13 minutes to go, to make the dying minutes comfortable for the Chilli Boys, who booked their spot in the quarter-finals.
Here's how they lined up:
Chippa United: Nwabali, Mdunyelwa, Banda, Pietersen, Poggenpoel, Pfumbidzai, September, Kammies, Maphangule, Lebitso, Ighodaro
Subs: Kazapua, Mini, Luthuli, Ntsabo, Mathiane, Maarman, Appollis, Chauke, Abrahams
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